Can puncturing device



Oct. 13, 1964 c. A. TURNER cm PUNCTURING DEVICE Filed Dec. 10, 1962 3,152,395 CAN PUNCTURING DEVICE Clarence A. Turner, 1506 Belle Terre Ave., Charlotte, N.C., assignor of forty-nine percent to Walter Y. Bell, Jr., Charlotte, N.C.

Filed Dec. 10, 1962, Ser. No. 243,259 2 Claims. (Cl. 30-8) This invention relates to can openers and, more specifically, to those of the type adapted to be mounted upon a wall or similar surface and capable of puncturing or punching, with a minimum expenditure of time and effort by the operator, a pouring opening in the lids of chimed cans containing beverages or other liquids.

Primary objects of this invention are the provision of a can puncturing device of the type described which is capable of readily accommodating cans of widely varying heights and diameters, which maintains a can in a vertical upright position while punching the pouring opening therein so as to avoid spillage of the contents, and which can be utilized by an operator employing but a single hand with pronounced ease, speed, and safety.

A related and more specific object is the provision of a can puncturing device of the type described which is operable by an operator merely exerting a downward pull upon a can received therein, such that the weight of the can and its contents assists in the formation of the pouring opening, and such that the possibility of accidental injury to the operator is obviated since, if slippage should occur, the hand of the operator moves away from the punch member of the device.

Another related and more specific object is the provision of means for suspending a can in a device of the type described from the upper chime thereof, and which is capable of readily receiving and suspending cans of widely varying heights and diameters in an upright position without spillage.

A further object is the provision of a punch member in a device of the type described which is mounted in a manner so as to be capable of adjustment for varying as desired the size of the pouring opening which it forms, and so as to be capable of removal to permit its cleansing, sharpening or replacement when necessary.

Still other objects and advantages will be in part evident and in part pointed out hereinafter in the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, which should read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the device in a normal, upward position, and showing a can positioned therein preparatory to being opened;

FIGURE 2 is a front view of the device of FIGURE 1, the can not being shown;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the device of FIGURE 1 with a portion broken away to better show details of construction;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section taken substantially along line 44 of FIGURE 3, but with the device shown in a downward, can-puncturing position;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged horizontal section taken substantially along line 55 of FIGURE 1, and showing in plan the can suspending means of the device;

FIGURE 6 is a vertical section taken along substantially line 66 of FIGURE 5 of the can suspending means; and

FIGURE 7 is a reduced perspective view of a portion of the supporting bracket of the device shown in FIG- URES 1-4.

1 Unlted States Patent 0 3,152,395 Patented Oct. 13, 1964 ice Referring more particularly to the drawings, the device is identified in its entirety in FIGURES 1-4 by the numeral 10, and includes generally a supporting bracket means 12 adapted to be secured in an upright position to a wall or similar surface, upper and lower levers 14, 16 pivotally connected to supporting bracket 12, a link 18 extending between and pivotally connected to levers 14, 16, can suspension means 20, a punch member 22, and resilient means in the form of a coil spring 24 for biasing the movable components of device it) to an upward position such as is illustrated in FIGURE 1 while permitting their pivotal movement to a downward position such as is illustrated in FIGURE 4. All of the various components of device it are preferably formed of zinc or chromium plated steel, or other durable but attractive material.

Supporting bracket 12 includes a female member 26, best shown in FIGURE 7, having four apertured, L- shaped legs 23 extending from an elongate main body portion 30 which terminates at one end at a reversedly bent flange 52. Screws 34 (see FIGURES l and 3) or other suitable fastening means extend through the apertures within legs 28 and thus permanently afix female member 26 in an upright position to a wall or similar surface, with main body portion 30 of female member 26 extending vertically in parallel spaced relation to the wall or other surface and with flange 32 extending outwardly and upwardly relative to the wall. Male member 36 of supporting bracket 12 is of generally channel-shaped construction, and is provided on the rear face of its web with an integral, downwardly-extending tongue 38, best shown in FIGURES 1 and 4. Male member 36 is secured to female member 26 by positioning tongue 33 between main body portion 30 of the latter and the wall to which it is secured, and by inserting the lower web of male member 36 bew/een flange 32 and main body port on 30 of female member 26, the relative widths of these components being such as to permit their mating as aforesaid but to prohibit lateral movement of male member 36. Nhen thus mated, it will be apparent that male member 36 of supporting bracket 12 is incapable of downward movement relative to female member 26, but can be readily moved upwardly and thus disassociated from female member 26 when desired.

Upper lever 14 and lower lever 16 of device 19 may each be formed, as shown, from substantially flat stock having a width slightly less than the distance between the flanges of member 36, such that the inner ends of levers I4, 16 can be pivotally connected to member 36 at vertically spaced points thereon by positioning these inner ends between the flanges of member 36 and passing horizontal pivot pins 40, 42, respectively, therethrough. Rigid link 13, consisting of spaced parallel legs 46, 46', extends vertically between levers 14, 15 and is pivotally connected at its opposite ends to the outer ends of levers 14, 16 by means of pivot pins 54, 54 and 55, 56, respectively. In the four-bar linkage thus defined by supporting bracket 12, levers 14, 15 and link 18, the distance between pivot pins 455 and 42 is equal to that between pins 54, 54' and 56, 56', and the distance between pivot pins 4% and 54, 54 equals that between pin 42 and pins 56, 5&5. By virtue of this construction and arrangement, it will be apparent that while link 18 undergoes translatory movement when the outer ends of levers 14, 16 are pivoted or swung in a vertical plane about pivot pins 48, 42, link 18 will always remain vertical irrespective of the pivotal position of levers 14, 16.

Punch member 22 includes a flat base portion 58 through which an elongate, centrally disposed slot 60 extends, and from which projects a curved wedge-shaped portion 62 adapted to punch a generally triangular pouring opening in the lid of a can. To facilitate its penetration of and subsequent withdrawal from the lid of a can, the edges of portion 62 are sharpened and beveled, respectively, as best shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. Screws 64 or other suitable removable fastening means extend through slot 68 and into threaded bores provided along the longitudinal center line of upper lever 14 to thus secure punch member 22 to lever 14 with curved portion 62 of the punch extending outwardly and downwardly from the lever and its pivotal connection 54, 54 with link 18.

The can suspension means 20 of device ltl includes a U-shaped lug 66 which is spot-welded or otherwise permanently secured between legs 46, 46 of link 18 at a point adjacent to but spaced from the upper end of the latter. Secured to or formed integral with lug 66 is an abutment member 76 which includes a central portion 72 and side portions 74, 76. The outer face of each portion 72, 74 and'76 of abutment member 70 is flat and vertically disposed, with the outer face of central portion 72 being centered beneath and extending at right angles to the longitudinal center line of punch member 22. The outer faces of side portions 74 and 76 each flare outwardly from central portion 72 at an angle of approximately 15 degrees, such that the angle defined between the outer faces of portions 74, 76 is approximately 150 degrees. The upper edge 73 of abutment member 76, which is collectively formed by the upper edges of the central and side portions thereof, is beveled so as to slope downwardly from front to rear, as best shown in FIGURES 4 and 6.

A can such as that identified by the numeral 89 in FIGURES 1, 4 and 6 is positioned for opening within device 10 merely by placing its upper chime 32 upon edge 78 of abutment member 70. When thus suspended from chime 82 by edge 78, can 8% is automatically maintained upright with its lid centered beneath portion 62 of punch member 22 by engagement of its cylindrical side Wall with the outer faces of portions 72, 74 and 76' of member 741' In the case of larger diameter cans, such as that shown in phantom lines in FIGURE 5, suspension means Ztl works equally well and in the same manner as with can 8%), but with the chime and side wall of the can being engaged only by the upper edges and outer faces of side portions 74 and '76 of member 70. When abutment member 70 is formed as shown with an included angle of approximately 150 degrees between its side portions 74 and 76, it has been determined that cans are readily accommodated which range in diameter from the smallest encountered in practical use to those of approximately inches.

The height of the cans capable of accommodation by suspension means 29 is, it would be noted, unlimited. However, if the frequent opening of cans of considerable height by device 10 is contemplated, it is desirable to provide an abutment member 84 on link 18 at a point beneath abutment member 79. Abutment member 84 is mounted and formed in the same manner as member 70 except that the upper edge of member 84 need not be sloped since only the forward faces of its various portions will engage the cans, the effect of such engagement being to prohibit pivotal movement of the cans which if permitted might cause the upper chimes thereof to be displaced from edge 73 of member 70. In the case of cans of lesser height, abutment member '84 is not necessary, since the possibility of such accidental displacement is obviated by the downward slope of edge 78 and the cans engagement by the outer faces of the side and central portions of member 7%.

To utilize device It an operator need but grasp a can in an ordinary manner, position its upper chime upon edge 78 of abutment member 70, and then pull downwardly upon it. The then ensuing pivotal movement of levers 14, 16 and downward movement of link 18 (compare FIGURES 1 and 4) causes punch member 22 to form the desired pouring opening in the lid of the can. Once this pouring opening is formed, the movable components of device 10 and the can are allowed to return from a lowered, FIGURE 4 position to an upward, FIGURE 1 position under the impetus of spring 24, after which return movement the can may be readily removed and device 10 is properly positioned for subsequent utilization.

Since link 18 remains vertical during pivotal movement of levers 14, 16, it will be appreciated that a can being opened by device 10 is maintained in an upright position atall times during the opening operation, thus discouraging the possibility, of spillage of its contents. Also decreasing the possibility of spillage, of the contents of the can is the fact that movement of the can during the opening operation is primarily in a downward direction, rather than upwardly or laterally. This fact is further of significance in that the weight of the can and its contents assists in the opening operation, thus requiring the exertion of less force. by the operator, and in that the force which is exerted by the operator is in a direction away from punch member 22, such that in the event of slippage no injury to the hand of the operator would occur by reason of its contacting the sharpened edges of the punch.

While, as noted previously, no adjustment of device 10 is necessary for the accommodation of cans of widely varyingsize, it may at times be desirable to vary the size of the pouring openings formed therein. This can readily be done with the instant device merely by loosening screws 64, sliding punch member 22 either outwardly or inwardly relative to lever 14, and then retightening the screws. By completely withdrawing screws 64 from their respective threaded bores within lever 14, it will further be apparent that punch member 22 can be completely removed from the remainder of device 10. This capability is deemed highly desirable since it facilitates and thus encourages periodic cleansing and sharpening of the punch member, such periodic maintenance being particularly desirable in the case of this one component of device 10.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

That which is claimed is:

1. A device for puncturing chimed cans of varying heights and diameters comprising a supporting bracket adapted to be secured to a wall or the like, upper and lower vertically aligned and spaced levers connected at their inner ends to said supporting bracket for vertical pivotal movement of their outer ends, a rigid link extending vertically between and pivotally connected at its opposite ends to said outer ends of said levers, a punch member, means adjustably mounting said punch member'upon said upper lever with said punch member extending outwardly from said outer end of said upper lever a desired distance, said punch member being movable toward said link upon downward pivotal movement of said levers, resilient means biasing said levers to an upward pivotal position, and means carried by said link for vertically suspending a can from the upper chime thereof with the lid of the can positioned beneath and puncturable by said punch means upon downward pivotal movement of said levers, said can suspending means comprising an abutment member having a beveled upper edge adapted to support the chime of the canand having a plurality of angularly disposed outer faces adapted to engage the side wall of the can.

2. A device as in claim 1, wherein the distance between said inner ends of said levers is equfl to the distance between said outer ends thereof, and wherein said levers are of equal length.

References Citefi in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,584,490 Murphy et a1. Feb. 5, 1952 6 Stumpp July 13, 1954 Armstrong et a1. Sept. 28, 1954 Hansen Jan. 11, 1955 Staller Feb. 8, 1955 Bauer July 5, 1955 Sheperak Oct. 16, 1956 

1. A DEVICE FOR PUNCTURING CHIMED CANS OF VARYING HEIGHTS AND DIAMETERS COMPRISING A SUPPORTING BRACKET ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A WALL OR THE LIKE, UPPER AND LOWER VERTICALLY ALIGNED AND SPACED LEVERS CONNECTED AT THEIR INNER ENDS TO SAID SUPPORTING BRACKET FOR VERTICAL PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THEIR OUTER ENDS, A RIGID LINK EXTENDING VERTICALLY BETWEEN AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ITS OPPOSITE ENDS TO SAID OUTER ENDS OF SAID LEVERS, A PUNCH MEMBER, MEANS ADJUSTABLY MOUNTING SAID PUNCH MEMBER UPON SAID UPPER LEVER WITH SAID PUNCH MEMBER EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID OUTER END OF SAID UPPER LEVER A DESIRED DISTANCE, SAID PUNCH MEMBER BEING MOVABLE TOWARD SAID LINK UPON DOWNWARD PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID LEVERS, RESILIENT MEANS BIASING SAID LEVERS TO AN 